Ministerial level meeting: Nurses Association sees ray of hope

Indian Nurses Association state representatives who met the Minister of Labour and Excise, T P Ramakrishnan at his chamber today said that the meeting ended in a pleasant note as the minister had assured immediate intervention and redressal of issues.

“The Minister has made it clear that the Government would soon find a solution to the woes of nurses working at various private hospitals in the state,” said INA state president Libin Thomas. The meeting was held in the backdrop of nurses’ strike in Kannur district and the indefinite fast by INA state heads in front of state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. Nurses from five private hospitals in Kannur district have been striking since June 29 demanding implementation of Supreme Court order regarding the remuneration of private sector nurses in the country.

The Supreme Court in an order dated September 20, 2016 had directed the state governments to ensure that the nurses working in the private sector receive a remuneration at par with those working in the government hospitals. According to the order, the basic pay of nurses working in private hospitals with 200 beds is Rs.28, 900. Hospitals with 100-200 beds can lower the remuneration upto 10 percent and this difference can be upto 25 percent at hospitals with number of beds between 50 and 100. The ordinance also made it clear that the nurses working at hospitals with at least 50 beds should be given a minimum of Rs.20,000.

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Indian Nurses Association state representatives who met the Minister of Labour and Excise, T P Ramakrishnan at his chamber today said that the meeting ended in a pleasant note as the minister had assured immediate intervention and redressal of issues.

“The Minister has made it clear that the Government would soon find a solution to the woes of nurses working at various private hospitals in the state,” said INA state president Libin Thomas. The meeting was held in the backdrop of nurses’ strike in Kannur district and the indefinite fast by INA state heads in front of state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. Nurses from five private hospitals in Kannur district have been striking since June 29 demanding implementation of Supreme Court order regarding the remuneration of private sector nurses in the country.

The Supreme Court in an order dated September 20, 2016 had directed the state governments to ensure that the nurses working in the private sector receive a remuneration at par with those working in the government hospitals. According to the order, the basic pay of nurses working in private hospitals with 200 beds is Rs.28, 900. Hospitals with 100-200 beds can lower the remuneration upto 10 percent and this difference can be upto 25 percent at hospitals with number of beds between 50 and 100. The ordinance also made it clear that the nurses working at hospitals with at least 50 beds should be given a minimum of Rs.20,000.

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